Are Raw or Cooked Foods Healthier?

There has been an explosion in recent years regarding the diet of raw and uncooked foods. The hype is that raw foods are better for the body than the cooking processes that have been developed over the last several thousand years. The idea is that our ancient ancestors ate mostly raw and uncooked foods and that digestive evolution hasn't caught up to current food preparations. But, is this really the case? Are we incapable of optimally utilizing cooked foods or is this just one of those current diet hypes that’s latched onto junk science and is running with it?

There has been concern over the safety of eating raw foods for many years. Ever since scientists discovered bacterial and parasite issues with raw foods, it has been recommended that everything either be washed thoroughly to get rid of the bacteria and any present parasites or that it be cooked to a certain extent to ensure the same would be killed during the process.

It was recommended in recent years to eat all the sprouts a person could get their hands, until it was discovered that they are prone to carrying pathogens and that they have actually been responsible for a number of the outbreaks reported in the last decade. Sprouts are an exceptional breeding ground for bacterial infestations of E. Coli, Salmonella and Listeria, and even washing sprouts thoroughly might not be enough to eradicate the bacteria from the food. If ordering food in a restaurant, it might be a good idea to make sure sprouts aren’t used in the dish that’s ordered and that they’re not put on as garnish to avoid cross-contamination issues.

The same bacteria that can be found on sprouts can also be found on just about every other vegetable that might be consumed by humans. The difference is that most other fruits and vegetables don’t help breed the bacteria as seed sprouts do. If a vegetable can be peeled, it’s probably a good idea to do so, unless you’re after the additional nutrients in the peels. Whether utilizing the peel or not, it is important to wash the fruit or vegetable prior to touching the inside so that any bacteria won’t transfer to the inside.

When it comes to meats, it’s all about the temperatures.  There are guides available that will help a person determine what temperatures a meat or seafood needs to be frozen to or cooked to in order to ensure bacteria and parasites are properly removed.  For instance, for sushi, fish should be frozen for at least 7 days at -4F or at least 15 hours at -31F.  Similar guidelines should be followed for any raw beef that’s eaten, such as for steak tartar.  Because this dish is served raw, it may not be enough just to refrigerate the beef prior to serving.  Freezing it and then thawing in a fridge should make this dish safe enough to eat.

In addition to this, a person who enjoys rare steaks should follow the freezing process as well to ensure bacteria and parasites are killed prior to ingesting the meat. When it comes to other meats, from sausages to chicken breast to pork roast to shellfish, there is a lot of risk in consuming these raw and it is important to cook these to temperature. The most common bacteria that can harm a person that can be food borne are the same as in vegetables, most notably E. Coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, and the risk of such bacteria is higher in foods consumed raw.

As can be seen, it’s important to ensure foods are cleaned, washed, and stored correctly before cooking especially for those that are consumed raw. As to whether or not it’s better for humans to eat raw and uncooked foods for optimal nutrition is up in the air. It has been noted that burnt foods can be high in carcinogens that may affect the body negatively and there are a lot of diets that tout the idea that cooking food causes it to be broken down too far for the body to benefit from the nutrients contained in them. There doesn’t seem to be much research that supports or denies this idea as of yet. If a person insists on eating raw and uncooked foods, then they simply need to follow safety guidelines and avoid foods that should never be eaten raw, such as chicken and pork.